Gold, brocade and the Christmas party outfit

Hi, hello and draw up a chair, why don't you!

How are you? Are to catching up on some of those Christmas chores? Well, don't worry. Neither am I! And the blog seems to be like a poor relative at the moment too, limping along behind the ever growing to-do lists. But never mind, I'm here now and you have my complete attention. 

Today I'm channeling that festive feeling by way of this gold lurex cardigan which I bought in the big charity shop haul in London last month (see here). The brand is H&M and it was a snip at £6. I've added some more depth to the outfit with the addition of brocade, twice - once on these red pre-loved trousers (Oxfam) and secondly with the black and gold boots from River Island.

The gold lurex cardigan is really weighty making it feel more like a jacket. I like the popper fasteners, but do wish it had some pockets - oh how I love the slouchiness of a pocket! My blouse is another recycled item, this time by Jacques Vert. The embellishments in gold and sequins add another layer of fancy to this already fancy pants ensemble, but hey - it's the festive season isn't it?

I wonder if someone might get the hint as I model this ring today? It's made from the sea glass washed up on our shores. I collect bags of this a couple of times a year and send them off to a couple of artists who then create jewellery for the gallery. 

Another pre-loved purchase is this red leather belt by Tommy Hilfiger, but it looks as good as new and well worth the £5 I paid for it.

Fiona and I were trying to capture some indoor shots, but the lighting issue (too much sunlight flooding the scene) and camera settings were an interesting challenge for both of us. Later on that evening we were back here at the New Inn attempting to get some photos of my Christmas party outfit.

Automatic flash wasn't quite what we wanted ...

No flash didn't work either.

The lighting here was better, but blurry and you couldn't see the whole outfit.

What do you mean, "suck your tummy in"?

How's this?

Yes, the fringing shows up better like this!

My fab black glitter boots were from Topshop last year, as were the sparkly tights. The pre-loved skirt (Oasis) was from the Crisis Centre shop in London too, and the lurex top is ancient, but second hand. 

My sparkling rings are pre-loved and the handbag is almost a vintage piece by now as it's about 20 years old. The island party was very well attended, so much so, that I didn't know half of the faces there as they were from behind the scene at the various eateries on the island. I had a lovely evening, catching up with locals and dancing for as long as my boots would allow me.

                                                                                             Anna x

JD Williams does Christmas!

Hello and welcome to my slightly premature Christmas card shot!

(From left to right are Kath, Annie, Katie, Jenny and Savi.)

I'm totally thrilled to be involved in the JD Williams Christmas campaign with my JDW friends. These ladies have become a great new addition in my life. They also became my very first WhatsApp group which wasn't without its teething problems I can tell you! Our new found friendship has grown from our mutual delight at being chosen for this project. The initial "Who'd have thought?" and "Can you believe it?" messages have now been replaced more recently with "Well done!", "Have you seen...?" and "Don't we all look fab?". It's lovely to have this supports system with a common bond and understanding.

This Christmas Day look has me still toying with the idea of a second pair of these Meghan trousers which I bought in the cobalt version last month (see here). They do them in red, green and black but I can't decide between the red and the green. My new M&S tartan boots would work with either colour I'm sure, which is what's making the choice so darned difficult. What do you think? See the boots in question here. 

My party look is the Glitter Bardot top, Joanna Hope Jacquard Metallic Prom skirt and Rose gold sandals. These are a wide fit which was heaven. Filming took hours with lots of standing around in the interim and I wore these without flinching or needing to take them off. Definitely worth considering for dancing at the Christmas bash! If you can't wait to see the commercial live on TV you can catch it at the end of the blog. My party outfit details are also featured on the JDW blog. It's all rather surreal writing this, as is the fact that another rash of JDW magazine ads are out in the Christmas issues. See both the December Good Housekeeping and Prima for coverage of the campaign along with little ol' me. (Me in magazines and on TV is something I'd never have contemplated on my 60th birthday and now look at things!)

This larking about shot is one of my favourites, which will be no surprise to my regular readers. I love to have a bit of fun, especially in front of the camera, so this looks much more naturally me. Katie and I are both up for a bit of messing about, although she's the consummate professional and can deliver the perfect shot in the blink of an eye (she does a lot of work on TV commercials which is hardly surprising given her beautiful English Rose looks, so keep your eye out for her). Working with these women was fabulous and all the more so thanks to the wonderful team that turned us into the glamorous versions of ourselves. 

This is my make-up story board. With these iconic beauties to aspire to I was ever hopeful for the transformation ahead.

And this is my hair story board, again nothing to complain about here!

Hair, nails and make-up were all lovingly attended to which is a great treat. Each hair stylist or make-up technician is a perfectionist and that's so lovely to be on the receiving end of as they are such experts. Being done to, handing over that responsibility allows for a lovely stress free time, where you can just relax and enjoy the pampering. But also, all the team were ready for a chat if that's what you wanted. As this is our second time around we've gotten to know everyone and it's just like meeting old friends when they ask about family/travel details/bothersome skin issues - nothing is off limits!

So (fingers crossed) here's the new Christmas advert. If this doesn't work then just click onto the link here which will take you to the website where you'll definitely be able to see it. 

I'll revisit the JD Williams filming experience later this month with more of the behind the scenes footage and hopefully by then you'll all have seen the TV advert too. Have a super week everyone - I'll be back soon!

I'll be linking with -

Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb

Patti of Not Dead Yet Style

Anna x

Sequins, beading and embroidery

It's been an eventful time since I last posted. Unfortunately most of it has been health related, hence this middle of the night posting. I've got toothache, that keep-you-awake, throbbing type toothache. I think it's actually an infection underneath the tooth as antibiotics are helping. On top of that I've also had a two day migraine. I only tell you by way of apology for my absence, not for pity. Hopefully by the next time we get together all will be remedied. In the meantime, let's get on with the party preparations, shall we?

The annual island party is less than a week away and I'm still dithering about what to wear. You may remember this skirt from last year. See how I styled it up that time here.

I'm pleased to say that the only new thing here are the boots, and oh what boots! And best of all, they're super comfy and I can dance in them - I did my happy dance when they arrived.

Beading, sequins and embroidery - I feel very at home with all these embellishments.

Outfit details - skirt: H&M, jacket: TK Maxx, top, clutch and rings: pre-loved, necklace: old, tights: Dorothy Perkins, boots Zara (still available here).

The top is sleeveless, so if I get too hot, I can just slip the jacket off and I'm ready to dance. I know I said about not dancing cos I'm tea total, but honestly, I just like to give myself a get out clause. I'm a bit funny like that. I think I don't like to build something up to being too wonderful in case it doesn't deliver. It saves you from that sense of anticlimax, you know? On the outside I look like a grown woman and yet inside is the 16 year old me still getting excited about whether I'll be brave enough to get up and dance. I suppose that's where a bit of Dutch courage comes into it, eh? 

Golly you can tell it's the middle of night by the amount of blathering that's going on here. There's no filter, just a stream of unconscious drivel I'm afraid. Well done you for hanging on in there in the hope of something worthwhile! But wait, there is something worth a look. I've been doing some sewing, a little bit of hand sewing to take my mind off my toothache.

I bought these velvet trousers for a pound, (yes that's 100 pennies!) in a charity shop in Exeter a couple of years ago and so far I've never worn them. Anyway, I decided to chop a few inches off the bottom and scavenge the bead work from this (very scratchy) top to make...

...these! Beaded crop trousers that are totally unique. The weight of the trim helps to give the trouser bottoms a real swish factor as well as looking lovely, don't you think? It was a labour of love, and did stretch my patience, but I'm so glad I persevered. I'm going to see what I can find in my wardrobe to go with these and will showcase them soon. Thanks for dropping by, and apologies if I've not replied to your comments or visited your blog lately.

Anna x

Metallics, maybe?

Here's another trial run for the annual Christmas party. I bought the rather fabulous silver boots in TK Maxx some time ago and have been waiting for the right moment to wear them. 

I've worn the skirt before (see here) and think I might be a bit formulaic in how I style it, but I reckon the dazzle of the metallic fabric plus pleating deem it necessary to have a simple top.

It's all about the boots for me today.

The polo neck is black and gold lurex and may be the ideal sweater to have around at this time of year as it goes with so many outfits. I fancy it could be turning up like a rash all over Christmas.

Outfit details - sweater: H&M, skirt: Sainsbury's, boots: Buffalo, sunglasses: Quay Australia, clutch and rings: pre-loved.

So, could this be my party outfit this year? I'm pleased to say that the boots are the only new thing here. I've done some Black Friday shopping and will show you that in a moment, but I'm hoping to recycle some clothes throughout the festive period too. I have lots of sequined pieces which never go out of fashion and will be trying those on this weekend to see what I can conjure up. Our party is on the 17th and I predict I'll be in a quandary right up to the last minute. The minus points about this option are - will I be too hot in a roll neck meaning I just won't want to dance? And will the new boots pinch so much that I can't dance? (Having said that, being tea-total sometimes means I just don't dance as I'm not relaxed enough anyway.)

Anyway, I've kept you waiting for long enough (Sheila) so here goes with my Zara shopping from Black Friday -

A midi floral dress has been on my wish list for ages and this ticks all the boxes.

I see this as a perfect day dress for those lunchtime drinks do's, and will work with both these silver boots or my red sock boots.

Another useful dress in green velvet with orange and purple flowers.

One pair of sock boots comes from Primark and the other from Zara...can you tell which?

The next run of shots are charity shop finds and really don't look very good on the mannequin which is probably why I've not shown them previously. The usual bed spread display doesn't work at this time of year as it's too dark. Trust me, these all look better on me.

Crazy, fluffy and turquoise, yep it's fab.

A grey denim shirt with stretch and black chiffon maxi skirt.

Vintage St Michael dress and red belt. 

Country Casuals dress with beading - useful for a show next year?

The blouse is another vintage find and the skirt is green faux suede with stretch.

Last of all is this tweed trench from Topshop which cost me all of £5.

That's just about it then folks. I'll be back on Sunday with another party offering as I search for the elusive perfect outfit. I never manage to choose a work outfit until the morning, so I can't imagine that I'll be able to do any different about this party piece either. In the meantime, do feel free to chip in with your suggestions. Was there something from last Christmas that I could be wearing again perhaps?

Are you still searching for your Christmas frock? Or are you looking for something more casual for Christmas at home? Good luck with all your shopping, and see you soon.

Anna x